Page 54 of When the Rogue Returns
Damnation. She wasn’t going to let that go, was she?
Lochlaw halted. “I forgot all about it.” He steadied his shoulders. “I shall do that after I’m finished at the cobbler’s. I’m sure Mother would wish to know. And we must have aDebrett’sin our library somewhere.”
Flashing Victor a self-satisfied smile, Isa said, “If you don’t, there’s probably one in the subscription library.”
Victor strode forward. “I’ll go with you, cousin. I’d like to seeDebrett’smyself.”
Isa’s smile faded. “We should all go.”
“Don’t you have a piece of jewelry you have to finish this week?” Victor pointed out smugly, trying not to laugh when she glared at him. He took Lochlaw by the arm. “We’ll leave you to it. Besides, it’ll give me and my cousin more time to get acquainted, eh, Lochlaw?”
And perhaps in the process, he could find out exactlywhatIsa was hiding. It was becoming clear that he had a better chance of that with Lochlaw than with his wary wife.
Lochlaw brightened. “Oh, yes, that would be grand.” But as soon as they’d left the shop, Lochlaw said, “You have to help me, cousin.”
“I wouldn’t know the first thing about where to find aDebrett’s.”
“No, not that,” Lochlaw said with a roll of his eyes. “You have to help me get another present for Mrs. Franke. So she doesn’t think I’m a dullard.”
“I’m sure she would never think that,” he bit out.
“She would never admit that she does. But who wouldn’t think it after I bought the wrong-size boots?”
Victor sighed, feeling sorry for the fellow despite everything. “Miss Gordon clearly doesn’t.”
Lochlaw’s expression grew troubled. “That’s just it, don’t you see? Miss Gordon was only trying to be polite. She’s always polite. But if I don’t get Mrs. Franke a better present and show her that I’m capable of pleasing a woman, Miss Gordon will be secretly convinced that I’m an idiot. And she’ll never speak to me again.”
“I seriously doubt that,” Victor said dryly.
“She’s never spoken to me before today,” he pointed out. “Until now, I thought she didn’t like me. She’s often there when I come to the shop, but she never talks to me. And she always seems to get so flustered around me.”
Victor bit back a smile. “That’s because shelikesyou.”
Lochlaw cast Victor a hopeful look. “Do you really think so?” Then his face fell. “No, that can’t be true or else she would talk to me.”
“She’s shy, that’s all. And with a shy woman, the more she likes someone, the less she is able to show it. That sort of woman needs a lot of encouragement before she’ll reveal her true feelings.”
Isa had been like that, once. Victor wished he had seen it better then.
Lochlaw stared off across the street, a frown spreading over his brow.
“Do you like Miss Gordon?” Victor asked.
“I always thought she was very pretty,” Lochlaw admitted, “but once I heard her talking about atomic theory...” His shoulders slumped. “Now that I know she’s clever, I like her even more. And that makes it even more hopeless than with Mrs. Franke.”
“I don’t follow.”
“A clever sort like Miss Gordon will see at once that I’m terrible with women.”
He considered pointing out that a clever woman would “see at once” that he was rich and titled, but it felt wrong to poison the baron’s budding feelings with such cynicism. “If she likes you, she won’t care.”
The baron thrust out his chin. “You don’t even know for sure that she does. That’s why I have to get Mrs. Franke a better gift. And you have to help me!”
“You’re making no sense, lad. If it’s Miss Gordon you like, then why not gethera gift?”
“Nowyou’rebeing a dullard,” Lochlaw chided him. “Miss Gordon isn’t married. EvenIknow that an unmarried gentleman can’t give an unmarried woman a gift. It’s just not done.”
“So you’re going to give one to Mrs. Franke instead?” Victor said, still bewildered.
